Note 1 - Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

Note 1. Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

A. Organization and Principles of Consolidation – Everflow Eastern Partners, L.P. ("Everflow") is a Delaware limited partnership which was organized in September 1990 to engage in the business of oil and gas acquisition, exploration, development and production. Everflow was formed to consolidate the business and crude oil and natural gas properties of Everflow Eastern, Inc. ("EEI") and subsidiaries and the crude oil and natural gas properties owned by certain limited partnership and working interest programs managed or sponsored by EEI ("EEI Programs" or the "Programs").

Everflow Management Limited, LLC ("EML"), an Ohio limited liability company, is the general partner of Everflow and, as such, is authorized to perform all acts necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes and conduct of the business of Everflow. At December 31, 2023, the members of EML include Everflow Management Corporation ("EMC"); three individuals who are officers and directors of EEI and one individual who is the Chairman of the Board of EEI. EMC is an Ohio corporation formed in September 1990 and is the managing member of EML. EML holds no assets other than its general partner's interest in Everflow, nor does it have any liabilities. In addition, EML has no separate operations or role apart from its role as Everflow's general partner.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Everflow, its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including EEI, and interests with joint venture partners (collectively, the "Company"), which are accounted for under the proportional consolidation method. All significant accounts and transactions between the consolidated entities have been eliminated.

B. Use of Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("generally accepted accounting principles" or "GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates impacting the Company's financial statements include revenue and expense accruals and oil and gas reserve quantities. In the oil and gas industry, and especially as related to the Company's natural gas sales, the processing of actual transactions generally occurs 60-90 days after the month of delivery of its product. Consequently, accounts receivable from production and crude oil and natural gas sales are recorded using estimated production volumes and market or contract prices. Differences between estimated and actual amounts are recorded in subsequent periods’ financial results. As is typical in the oil and gas industry, a significant portion of the Company's accounts receivable from production and crude oil and natural gas sales consists of unbilled receivables. Oil and gas reserve quantities are utilized in the calculation of depreciation, depletion and amortization and the impairment of crude oil and natural gas properties and also impact the timing and costs associated with asset retirement obligations. The Company's estimates, especially those related to oil and gas reserves, could change in the near term and could significantly impact the Company's results of operations and financial position.

C. Fair Value of Financial Instruments – The fair values of cash and equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other short-term obligations approximate their carrying values because of the short maturity of these financial instruments. The carrying values of the Company's long-term obligations approximate their fair value because they are considered to be at current market rates. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, rates available to the Company at the balance sheet dates are used to estimate the fair value of existing obligations.

D. Cash and Equivalents – The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains, at various financial institutions, cash and equivalents which may exceed federally insured amounts and which may, at times, significantly exceed balance sheet amounts due to float. Cash and equivalents include $3,064,191 and $3,006,107 of operational advances at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which are funds collected and held on behalf of joint venture partners for their anticipated share of future plugging and abandonment costs. Operational advances held on behalf of joint venture partners include approximately $966,800 and $875,600 held on behalf of employees, including officers and directors, at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

E. Investments – The Company’s investments are classified as available-for-sale securities and consist of shares held in a mutual fund that invests primarily in investment grade, U.S. dollar denominated short-term fixed and floating rate debt securities. The mutual fund seeks current income while seeking to maintain a low volatility of principal.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board established a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements by establishing a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs and defines valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives highest priority to Level I inputs and lowest priority to Level III inputs. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level I – Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical financial instruments as of the reporting date.

Level II – Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date, and fair value is determined through the use of models or other valuation methodologies.

Level III – Pricing inputs are unobservable for the financial instrument and include situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the financial instrument. The inputs into the determination of fair value require significant management judgment or estimation.

The Company’s investments are carried at fair market value based on quoted prices available in active markets and are therefore classified as Level I.

F. Property and Equipment – The Company uses the successful efforts method of accounting for oil and gas exploration and production activities. Under successful efforts, costs to acquire mineral interests in oil and gas properties, to drill and equip development wells and related asset retirement costs are capitalized. Costs of development wells (on properties the Company has no further interest in) that do not find proved reserves and geological and geophysical costs are expensed. The Company has not participated in exploratory drilling and owns no interest in unproved properties.

Capitalized costs of proved properties, after considering estimated dismantlement and abandonment costs and estimated salvage values, are amortized by the unit-of-production method based upon estimated proved developed reserves. Depletion, depreciation, and amortization on proved properties amounted to $1,506,961 and $288,051 during 2023 and 2022, respectively.

On sale or retirement of a unit of a proved property (which generally constitutes the amortization base), the cost and related accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization and write down are eliminated from the property accounts, and the resultant gain or loss is recognized.

Generally accepted accounting principles require that long-lived assets (including oil and gas properties) and certain identifiable intangibles be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The Company, at least annually, reviews its proved crude oil and natural gas properties (on a field by field basis) for impairment by comparing the carrying value of its properties to the properties' undiscounted estimated future net cash flows. Estimates of future crude oil and natural gas prices, operating costs, and production are utilized in determining undiscounted future net cash flows. The estimated future production of oil and gas reserves is based upon the Company's independent reserve engineer's estimate of proved reserves which includes assumptions regarding field decline rates and future prices and costs. For properties where the carrying value exceeds undiscounted future net cash flows, the Company recognizes as impairment the difference between the carrying value and fair market value of the properties. The Company determines fair market value, using the income approach, as the properties’ discounted estimated future net cash flows. The key assumptions above are not observable in the market and, therefore, the fair value of the oil and gas properties is classified as Level III. The Company did not write down any crude oil and natural gas properties during 2023 or 2022.

Pipeline and support equipment and other corporate property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated principally on the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives (pipeline and support equipment - 10 to 15 years, other corporate equipment - 3 to 7 years, building and improvements - 39 to 40 years). Depreciation on pipeline and support equipment amounted to $82,926 and $72,140 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Depreciation on other corporate property and equipment, included in general and administrative expense, amounted to $84,005 and $79,492 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.         

Maintenance and repairs of property and equipment are expensed as incurred. Major renewals and improvements are capitalized, and the assets replaced are retired.

G. Asset Retirement Obligations – Generally accepted accounting principles require the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation to be recognized in the period in which it is incurred if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. For the Company, these obligations include dismantlement, plugging and abandonment of crude oil and natural gas wells and associated pipelines and equipment. The associated asset retirement costs are capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the long-lived asset. The liability is accreted to its then present value each period, and the capitalized cost is depleted over the estimated useful life of the related asset.

The estimated liability is based on historical experience in dismantling, plugging and abandoning wells, estimated remaining lives of those wells based on reserves estimates, estimates of the external cost to dismantle, plug and abandon the wells in the future and federal and state regulatory requirements. The liability is discounted using an assumed credit-adjusted risk-free interest rate. Revisions to the liability will likely occur due to: changes in estimates of dismantlement, plugging and abandonment costs, changes in estimated remaining lives of the wells, changes in federal or state regulations regarding plugging and abandonment requirements, and other factors. At December 31, 2022, the Company made revisions in estimates of plugging costs, remaining lives of wells and the inflation rate.

The schedule below is a reconciliation of the Company's liability for the years ended December 31:

	2023			2022
Beginning of period	$	15,888,385		$	14,462,671
Liabilities incurred		184			1,187
Liabilities settled		(204,660	)		(65,259	)
Accretion expense		1,184,585			188,552
Revision of estimated cash flows		-			1,301,234
End of period	$	16,868,494		$	15,888,385

H. Revenue Recognition – Revenues from contracts with customers are recognized when performance obligations are satisfied in accordance with contractual terms.

For the sale of crude oil and natural gas from operated properties, the Company generally considers each unit (BBL or MCF) to be a separate performance obligation. The transaction price may consist of fixed and variable consideration, in which the variable amount is determinable each production period and is recognized as revenue upon pickup/delivery of the crude oil or natural gas, which is the point in time that the customer obtains control of the crude oil or natural gas and the Company's performance obligation is satisfied.

Crude oil and natural gas sales derived from third party operated wells are recognized under similar terms as sales of crude oil and natural gas from operated properties and revenue is recognized at a point in time when the product is delivered, the purchaser obtains control and the Company's performance obligation is satisfied.

Crude oil and natural gas sales represent the Company's share of revenues, net of royalties and other revenue interests owned by other parties. When settling crude oil and natural gas sales on behalf of royalty owners or working interest owners, the Company is acting as an agent and thus reports the revenue on a net basis.

Based on the Company's judgment, the Company's performance obligations have been satisfied and an unconditional right to consideration exists at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively; therefore, the Company recognized amounts due from contracts with customers as production accounts receivable within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The Company utilizes the sales method to account for gas production volume imbalances. Under this method, revenue is recognized only when gas is produced and sold on the Company’s behalf. The Company had no material gas imbalances at December 31, 2023 and 2022.

The Company frequently participates (and may act as drilling contractor) with affiliated and unaffiliated joint venture partners and certain employees, officers and directors in the drilling, development and operation of jointly owned oil and gas properties. Each owner, including the Company, has an undivided interest in the jointly owned properties. Generally, the joint venture partners, employees, officers and directors participate on the same drilling/development cost basis as the Company and, therefore, no revenue, expense or income is recognized on the drilling and development of the properties. Well management and operating revenues are derived from a variety of both verbal and written operating agreements with joint venture partners, and are recognized monthly as services are provided and properties are managed and operated. Other revenues consist of miscellaneous revenues that are recognized at the time services are rendered, the Company has a contractual right to such revenue and collection is reasonably assured.

I. Income Taxes – Everflow is not a tax-paying entity and the net taxable income or loss, other than the taxable income or loss allocable to EEI, which is a C corporation owned by Everflow, is allocated directly to its respective partners. The non-taxable status of the Programs and Everflow is the primary reconciling item between taxes computed at the Federal statutory rate and the effective tax rate in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company is not able to determine the net difference between the tax bases and the reported amounts of Everflow's assets and liabilities due to separate elections that were made by owners of the working interests and limited partnership interests that comprised the Programs.

EEI accounts for income taxes under generally accepted accounting principles, which require income taxes be provided for all items (as they relate to EEI) in the consolidated statements of operations regardless of the period when such items are reported for income tax purposes. Therefore, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and tax basis of certain EEI assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets, recorded with other assets, and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The impact on deferred taxes of changes in tax rates and laws, if any, is reflected in the financial statements in the period of enactment. Items giving rise to deferred taxes consist primarily of temporary differences arising from differences in financial reporting and tax reporting methods for EEI's proved properties, percentage depletion and general business credits.

The Company believes that it has appropriate support for any tax positions taken and, as such, does not have any uncertain tax positions that are material to the financial statements.

J. Other Income – The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act created the Employee Retention Credit, a refundable Federal payroll tax credit. In July 2023, EEI applied to the Internal Revenue Service for $481,937 of credits and recognized them as other income in 2023. All credits are receivable to EEI at December 31, 2023 and are recognized as other current assets.

K. Allocation of Income and Per Unit Data – Under the terms of the limited partnership agreement, initially 99% of revenues and costs were allocated to the Unitholders (the limited partners) and 1% of revenues and costs were allocated to the general partner. Such allocation has changed and may change in the future as Unitholders elect to exercise the Repurchase Right and select officers and employees elect to exercise options (See Note 3).

Net income per limited partner Unit has been computed based on the weighted average number of Units outstanding during each year presented.

L. New Accounting Standards – The Company has reviewed all recently issued accounting standards in order to determine their effects, if any, on the consolidated financial statements. Based on that review, the Company believes that none of these standards will have a significant effect on current or future earnings or results of operations.